Ukraine anti-government activists vow to continue protests

Euronews

Thousands of anti-government demonstrators remain on the streets of the Ukraine capital, Kyiv, in the wake of the widely perceived failure of crisis talks.

Protesters have erected more barricades and occupied a government ministry building, pointing to a further weekend of unrest.

A mass crowd also paid a visit to the EU Delegation Office to demand strict sanctions be taken against the government.

One demonstrator said: “The sanctions should be imposed on the MPs, on Ukrainian government, and what is very important – on oligarchs, who are influential in Ukrainian policy, who keep control over Members of Parliament and who keep the assets in bank accounts abroad.”

Another activist told euronews. “We want to show that terrible events are taking place in Ukraine right now, there is bloodshed, bloodshed of innocent people! We’re demonstrating at the German embassy, and then Polish and Austrian embassies.”

Our correspondent in Kyiv, Maria Korenyuk, says opposition leaders say only international mediation will now end the crisis: “Sanctions against Ukrainian authorities have already been imposed by the USA. Washington has promised to revoke visas for Ukrainian officials responsible for breaking up peaceful rallies. Now protesters want European states to do the same.”